Messiah complex

Sir — Controversy and Donald Trump seem inseparable. In the latest instance, the president of the United States of America shared an Artificial Intelligence-generated image on Truth Social, depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure healing a sick man in a hospital bed. The post appeared just hours after he criticised Pope Leo XIV’s stance on the Iran war. The image, however, was later deleted following a sharp backlash even from some of Trump’s supporters. Still, it can be said that Trump’s penchant for self-mythologisation can hardly be diminished. For a man who once mused about being pope and angled for the Nobel Peace Prize, this turn to messianic imagery signals an ever-escalating spectacle. Ironically, only a messiah can save the world from Trump’s tantrums.

Papia Sanyal,
Calcutta

Lost ground

Sir — Rudra Chatterjee’s article, “The maker’s moment” (April 9), makes for engaging reading. While it celebrates the business acumen of notable Bengalis from the past, it also laments the present inertia in that sphere. The nostalgia for a glorious legacy is justified. It underscores a troubling vacuum in today’s milieu. The average Bengali today bears the pejorative label of ‘bheto Bangali’, suggestive of a laid-back lifestyle.

I intend to add to the list mentioned by the author of remarkable Bengalis who embodied enterprise. S.K. Burman who founded Dabur in Calcutta in 1884. Another important name is that of Sulekha, India’s first indigenous ink brand, which was started by two Bengali brothers during the Swadeshi movement.

Sibu Kumar Das,
Bhubaneswar

Sir — Bengal’s business landscape was once dominated by pioneering industrialists such as Dwarkanath Tagore, R.N. Mookerjee, and Prafulla Chandra Ray. Bengali enterprise thrived across sectors well into the early years after Independence. What, then, explains the perceived decline? How did a community known for its industriousness come to be branded as ‘lazy’? This is because Bengali enterprises faced systematic setbacks under colonial rule, followed by competitive policy pressures in independent India. The stereotype that ‘Bengalis cannot do business’ is thus not an inherent truth.

Kajal Chatterjee,
Calcutta

Law and love

Sir — The article, “Beyond the letter of the law” (April 11), by Ashok Ramappa Patil and Sumit Kumar Singh offers a nuanced analysis of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. By drawing on recent judicial observations, the authors highlight the importance of considering the social context behind such cases.

The recent POCSO case against Farman Khan, the husband of Monalisa Bhosle, underscores the complexities pertaining to the risk of consensual relationships being criminalised. The article makes a persuasive case for revisiting the Act with greater sensitivity.

Manas Mukhopadhyay,
Hooghly

Sir — POCSO was enacted to safeguard minors from sexual abuse. Yet courts have increasingly observed that many POCSO cases arise from consensual relationships between adolescents being disapproved by parents. Recognising this dilemma, the Supreme Court urged the government to introduce a Romeo-Juliet clause to exempt genuine relationships and curb the misuse of the Act. This will help distinguish between exploitation and consensual relationships.

Salil Karmakar,
Calcutta

Sir — In its current rigid form, POCSO is often misused by families to police young love, sometimes leading to extreme consequences such as honour killings. Criminalising natural emotional development does not protect adolescents. Instead, it fosters fear and reinforces control. A calibrated approach, such as a close-in-age exemption, would ensure that the law punishes abuse while avoiding the persecution of affection. The law must respond with sensitivity and balance.

Harsh Pawaria,
Rohtak, Haryana

Brain drain

Sir — A recent study by a digital education portal on JEE toppers from 1990 to 2020 offered a telling lens on what is happening to India’s brightest minds. It shows that 23 out of 31 toppers are settled abroad and none of them pursued a Master’s degree in India. This is a verdict on the credibility of India’s research ecosystem. These toppers represent the highest tier of engineering talent. Their decision to seek opportunities abroad reflects systemic shortcomings — limited funding, inadequate research infrastructure and constrained global collaboration.

In contrast, universities overseas offer structured research pathways, strong mentorship and closer integration with industry. When the best-trained minds leave, India risks weakening its innovation ecosystem and institutional progress.

Khokan Das,
Calcutta

Long legacy

Sir — The childhood home of the late Argentine football legend, Diego Maradona, has been transformed into a soup kitchen to provide support to locals facing poverty. Maradona is gone but his legacy of compassion and service endures.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,
Chennai

Ritual recedes

Sir — The article, “In Calendarpara, a new timekeeper” (April 12), brought back childhood memories of visits on Poila Boishakh with my father to our neighbourhood mudir dokan for the customary haalkhata invitation. The seller would treat us to sharbat and gift a Bengali calendar adorned with images of deities and packets of sweets and savouries. Sadly, many such stores have now discontinued this cherished tradition.

Sourish Misra,
Calcutta